Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Databases

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what role the government Chief Data Officer will have in the implementation of the National Data Strategy.

Nigel Adams: We will update the House at the appropriate time.

World Cup: Football

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to include the Women’s World Cup Football Finals in the Listed Events category for free to air sports viewing.

Nigel Adams: Coverage of women’s professional sport on free to air television has improved significantly in the last ten years, with the FIFA Women’s World Cup and Euro Championships, Women’s Rugby World Cup, cycling and tennis being regular fixtures on the BBC and ITV. We know that more can be done to improve equality in sports broadcasting. That is why we have just announced our proposal to add the Paralympic Games to the list and we have started the statutory consultation process to do that. We are also considering the addition of women’s only sporting events where the equivalent men’s only tournaments are currently listed, which we plan to consult on later in the year. This is to give equal recognition to disabled and women’s sports.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Working Hours

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much time off in lieu has been taken by staff in his Department in each of the last five years.

Nigel Adams: The department has made no assessment of the amount of time off in lieu taken by staff in the last 5 years, and to do so would incur disproportionate cost. DCMS has a commitment to ensure that employees maintain a healthy work-life balance, and that the working hours of our staff are compliant with the requirements of the Working Time Regulations 1998. All employees have the opportunity to request to work ‘flexi hours’, meaning that (with line manager agreement) they can build up a certain amount of working hours as credit which can then be taken as time off. This is something that is arranged locally with an individual’s line manager, meaning that we do not hold a central record of the total amount of time off in lieu taken by the department’s employees.

Television: Licensing

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will place in the Library the correspondence between the BBC and his Department from the date of the 2017 General Election on the Conservative Party's Election Manifesto pledge to maintain pensioner benefits and the policy of transferring responsibility for free TV licences for over 75s to the BBC.

Nigel Adams: There is no plan to place such correspondence in the library but the Government is clear that the future of the over 75 licence fee concession is the responsibility of the BBC. The Government is disappointed with the BBC’s decision. People across the country value television as a way to stay connected, and the Government has asked the BBC to look at further ways to support older people.

Broadcasting

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, published by the Department for Exiting the European Union, what parts of the plan for broadcasting and video on demand in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.

Nigel Adams: Within the technical notice, published on 13 September 2018 and referred to in the question, the Government committed to making provisions in domestic legislation for the continuation of Ofcom licences, so that broadcasters can continue to broadcast in the UK without having to reapply for their licence under any new framework following EU Exit. The notice also stated that Government would ensure that existing domestic legislation relating to audiovisual media services would continue to be operable. The Broadcasting (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, passed on 12 February, enacted the relevant legislative changes. In addition to this, the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport continues to work closely with broadcasters and Ofcom to understand the impact of a ‘no deal’ scenario on the sector and ensure a smooth and orderly exit.

Financial Services and Markets Act 2000

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 on legislation.gov.uk will be updated to ensure the version available accurately represents the legislation in its current form.

Nigel Adams: The National Archives has now brought over 98% of all primary legislation up to date on legislation.gov.uk. The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (c. 8) has been updated to the end of 2016. A further 951 in force amendments need to be applied to bring it up to date. A fully revised version will be available by the end of 2019.

Social Media: Mental Health

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of preventing social media users from seeing how many likes posts have to support the mental health of people who use those media.

Matt Warman: As set out in the Online Harms White Paper, the government expects companies to be transparent about design practices which encourage extended engagement, and to engage with researchers to understand the impact of these practices on their users. In the future, we expect the online harms regulator will continue to support research in this area to inform future action and, if necessary, set clear expectations for companies to prevent harm to their users.

5G: Meteorology

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of 5G on data used in meteorology; and what steps he will take to ensure that 5G does not interfere with weather forecasting.

Matt Warman: The Government is committed to creating a policy and regulatory environment which will ensure the right conditions for the development and support the deployment of 5G networks. Within this, DCMS is working closely with Ofcom and BEIS agencies to ensure 5G developments take into account Earth Observation services. Identification of spectrum bands at global level to support 5G services worldwide will be on the agenda at the upcoming World Radio Conference 2019 (WRC-19). The UK has been actively involved in the work of the international groups ITU (International Telecommunication Union) and CEPT (European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations) to study the necessary emission limits for 5G to ensure that they meet internationally agreed protection criteria for these satellites. The current UK 5G deployments use frequencies (3400-3800 MHz) that are not contiguous with or near, in terms of spectrum bands, to those used by weather forecasting and, therefore, would not cause interference. Government will continue to engage with Ofcom to ensure that any future plans for use of spectrum bands for mobile networks will take into consideration the protection of the weather forecasting bands.

Internet: Safety

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2019 to Question 242826, what the timescale is for the publication of the consultation on regulatory proposals regarding consumer Internet of Things security.

Nigel Adams: In May 2019 we launched a public consultation on our regulatory proposals which concluded on the 5th June 2019. We consulted on our core proposal to create a minimum cyber security baseline for consumer IoT products, and how best to implement this, mindful of the risk of dampening innovation and avoiding placing a sizeable burden on UK manufacturers and retailers. Following the conclusion of the consultation, we are now working through the feedback to refine our policy proposals and we will publish a formal public response in due course which will outline the Government’s proposed next steps.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Credit Unions

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2019 to Question 271326, for what reasons his Department does not offer a payroll deduction service to enable employees to join a credit union; and if he will make a statement.

Nigel Adams: I can confirm the department currently does not have the facility to allow staff to join a credit union through payroll deductions. Staff can still make arrangements to contribute to a credit union via direct debit.

Telecommunications

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, published by the Department for Exiting the European Union, what parts of the plan for telecoms business in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.

Nigel Adams: As set out in published no-deal guidance, the Government has now made laws to ensure that the legal frameworks for telecoms regulation, radio spectrum management and mobile roaming in the EU continue to operate if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. These instruments provide certainty and continuity for telecoms businesses and consumers.

Broadcasting: Children

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of the draft age appropriate code proposed by the Information Commissioner’s Office on access to UK broadcasters' content.

Nigel Adams: It is important that we have world-leading standards which protect children’s privacy and security when they are online. That is why the government included provisions in the Data Protection Act 2018 requiring the Information Commissioner to produce the age appropriate design code, to set out practical guidance for relevant information society services on the specific protections for children’s personal data in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The ICO will continue to have a proportionate approach to regulation and held a public consultation earlier this year inviting feedback on the draft code. The ICO will be developing a final version of the code which must be submitted to the Secretary of State by 23 November.

Data Protection: Children

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the compatibility of the draft age appropriate code proposed by the Information Commissioner’s Office with his Department's responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 2018.

Nigel Adams: The Government takes the protection of personal data seriously, particularly when it relates to children and young people. Under Section 123 of the Data Protection Act 2018, the Information Commissioner is required to produce a statutory code of practice on Age Appropriate Design. The Code is to contain guidance on standards of age-appropriate design of relevant information society services likely to be accessed by children. It is a requirement of the Data Protection Act itself that the Code be compatible with it. We are keen to ensure that the code delivers the robust protection that children deserve and meets the requirements set out in the Data Protection Act 2018. Compliance with data protection legislation and protecting children against online harms are both key priorities for the department. The ICO is currently producing a final draft of the code which can be laid before Parliament.

Sports: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding his Department has allocated to projects to support grassroots sports facilities in Havering in each of the last five years.

Nigel Adams: Government, through Sport England has invested £2,247,887 in the local authority of Havering over the last 5 years. Of this, over £2.1m was awarded to facility projects. Examples of these facility projects include the Romford Leisure Development and The Fish 4 Life Education and Coaching Centre.

Rugby: Females

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of women playing professional rugby in the UK that are (a) UK and (b) non-UK citizens; and what the (i) immigration and (b) visa status is of those non-UK citizen rugby players.

Nigel Adams: The Rugby Football Union (RFU) currently contracts 28 fifteen-a-side players and 13 seven-a-side players and these players must have the right to live and work in the UK. Currently there is no central database of professional contracts at club level but the RFU has informed us that a system is being developed. It is important to note that any female players who are contracted to play professionally in England must be UK Nationals, EU Nationals or have the right to live and work in the UK through a route other than as a professional sportsperson. There are no female professional rugby league players in the UK.

Sports: Leicestershire

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what funding his Department allocated to support the provision of grassroots sports in Leicestershire in each of the last five years.

Nigel Adams: A total of £146,682,155 has been invested in Leicestershire over the last five years to support the provision of grassroots sport. This breaks down as follows and includes investment into facilities and projects aimed at getting more people active: 2019/20: £8,779,4622018/19: £18,155,5512017/18: £30,819,2902016/17: £13,593,0932015/16: £20,334,5352014/15: £22,296,4162013/14: £32,703,808

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 15 July 2019 to Question 275662, what provision her Department makes for claimants who do not have access to the internet and are unable to check how their award is calculated and a breakdown of what deductions are being made.

Will Quince: Our Universal Credit Claimant Survey, found that 98 per cent of claimants have internet access and did claim online, and the majority of those said they found the claim process overall to be straightforward. This can be accessed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-full-service-claimant-surveyAll Jobcentre Plus offices across the country have Wi-Fi and computers available for claimants to access the internet. For those that are still unable to access or use digital services, or are not able to travel, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helpline. In exceptional circumstances, a home visit can be arranged to support a claimant in making and maintaining their claim.The Work Coach or Case Manager supporting the claimant can inform them of how their award is calculated and the breakdown of their deductions and, where needed, can provide this in writing.

Universal Credit

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to extend the eligibility for budgeting loans to all families in receipt of universal credit.

Will Quince: This Government is committed to providing a strong safety-net for those who need it and continues to spend over ￡95 billion a year on working age welfare benefits. This includes a well-established system of hardship payments, benefit advances and budgeting loans for those who need extra support. The Government also provides a range of additional financial support to families and this includes free school meals, Healthy Start vouchers and help with health costs.Budgeting Advances have replaced Budgeting Loans for those in receipt of Universal Credit helping to provide additional assistance for emergency household costs, such as replacing a broken cooker, getting a job or staying in work or funeral costs. Eligibility for a Budgeting Advance is explained on GOV.UK and can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/other-financial-support

Universal Credit: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have claimed universal credit in Wales in each year since its inception.

Will Quince: Statistics surrounding the volume of Universal Credit claims is routinely published and can be found on the Department’s Stat-Xplore service: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Women and Equalities

Equal Pay

Dawn Butler: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will publish the gender pay gap in each UK parliamentary constituency in 2018-19.

Victoria Atkins: The Office for National Statistics publishes gender pay gaps by home parliamentary constituency on an annual basis. These are available online in ‘Home Parliamentary Constituency table’ 10.12, they also publish this data by place of work Parliamentary Constituency:https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/annualsurveyofhoursandearningsashegenderpaygaptables

Sustainable Development: Gender

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU with no deal on her Department’s ability to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5 in the UK.

Victoria Atkins: Leaving the EU, with or without a deal, will not affect our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. The UK’s first Voluntary National Review (VNR) was published in July 2019 and highlights UK action both domestically and internationally in support of Goal 5. It also outlines key challenges and next steps, recognising that while progress is being made, there is more work to do.We remain committed to supporting the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals both domestically and internationally when we leave the EU.

Sustainable Development: Disadvantaged

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU with no deal on her Department’s ability to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 10 in the UK.

Victoria Atkins: Leaving the EU, with or without a deal, will not affect our commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. The UK’s first Voluntary National Review (VNR) was published in July 2019 and highlights UK action both domestically and internationally in support of Goal 10. It also outlines key challenges and next steps, recognising that while progress is being made, there is more work to do.We remain committed to supporting the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals both domestically and internationally when we leave the EU.

Government Equalities Office: Public Expenditure

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what the (a) administrative and (b) programme budget is for the Government Equalities Office in (a) 2019-20 and (b) any subsequent financial years for which a budget has been allocated.

Victoria Atkins: For the 2019-20 financial year, GEO has an administrative budget of £5.8m and a programme budget of £12.2m.GEO's budgets in future financial years are subject to the upcoming Spending Review.

Sexual Harassment: Employment

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making an employer legally liable if they fail to protect their staff from sexual harassment at work.

Victoria Atkins: Under the existing law employers are already liable for harassment carried out by their employees at work, unless they have taken ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent it. A duty on employers to prevent harassment would not therefore change the legal responsibility of employers to take steps to prevent sexual harassment in their workplaces.However, following a recommendation by the Women and Equalities Select Committee for an explicit duty on employers to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, the Government launched a consultation this month which will explore the evidence for introducing such a duty.

Churches: Equality

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions her Department has has with the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the exemptions from equality legislation applied to the (a) Church in England, (b) Church in Wales and (c) Church of Scotland.

Victoria Atkins: The Government Equalities Office has not had any recent discussions with the Equality and Human Rights Commission about this issue.

Employment: Sexual Harassment

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to her Department's response to the Fifth Report from the Women and Equalities Committee, Sexual harassment in the workplace, HC725,  what progress her Department has made on collating data on the (a) prevalence and (b) type of workplace sexual harassment.

Victoria Atkins: We are making good progress on this commitment. We have appointed an external supplier to run a nationally representative survey on the prevalence and nature of sexual harassment in the workplace and in public places. We plan to publish the findings this year.

Females: Employment

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that women have access to full-time jobs.

Victoria Atkins: Female employment rates are at a record high, however women are still over three times as likely as men to work part-time. On the 3rd July 2019, we launched ‘Gender Equality at every stage: a Roadmap for Change’ setting out government action to address this and other persistent gendered barriers at every life stage. Actions include: supporting employers to promote gender-balanced progression in the workplace; continuing to develop the evidence base on what works through our Workplace & Gender Equality Programme; and working with local partners to help those who have taken time out for caring identify opportunities to return to work.